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Kanojo ni Naritai Kimi to Boku #3
I Wanna Be Your Girl, Volume 3
幼馴染のアキラとともに高校入学の日を迎えた主人公・ヒメ。 体は男性・心は女性…セーラー服に身を包んだアキラはひとりクラスの中で浮いてしまう。 大切なアキラを支えようと決心したヒメがとった行動、それは「学ランを着る」ことだった…！（著者名：たかせうみ／初出GANMA!26話～38話掲載分掲載分
Hime Sakuragaike has secretly been in love with her childhood friend Akira Yonezawa since they were kids, but Hime only recently found out that Akira identifies as female. Although surprised, Hime offers her full support, and this is initially kept secret between them for a few years, but Akira decides to start living as a girl full-time upon starting high school with Hime. However, since Akira garners a certain amount of attention, Hime takes it upon herself to aggressively stick up for Akira whenever necessary. Not wanting Akira to be singled out as an object of ridicule, Hime decides that her only option is to put herself in Akira's shoes.
Hime Sakuragaike has secretly been in love with her childhood friend Akira Yonezawa since they were kids, but Hime only recently found out that Akira identifies as female. Although surprised, Hime offers her full support, and this is initially kept secret between them for a few years, but Akira decides to start living as a girl full-time upon starting high school with Hime. However, since Akira garners a certain amount of attention, Hime takes it upon herself to aggressively stick up for Akira whenever necessary. Not wanting Akira to be singled out as an object of ridicule, Hime decides that her only option is to put herself in Akira's shoes.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 21, 2026
...I am really not a fan of how Hamuro and others keep trying to talk Hime out of wanting to be seen as a boy. Hamuro even says “You can’t just wish you weren’t a girl! It’s a part of who you are!” Why does no one (including the author) want to consider that maybe Hime is transgender too? It’s really starving to give “transmascs transition just to escape misogyny” which is ughhhhh. Being female/a girl can suck physically and socially but “I want to not be a girl” is different from “I want being a girl not to suck” and totally, exclusively cisgender people normally just stick with the latter, because they don't have another issue pushing them to the former!
(Or, I will concede, cisgender girls/women may say "I wish I wasn't a girl" as an expression of wanting to do specific things they've been forbidden from as a girl/not have certain expectations forced on them— but if pressed, I think that if those people are actually cisgender they would willingly and fully agree that they would prefer, over changing only their own situation, if girls weren't put under such rules and expectations in the first place.)
Ugh now that I think about it, since Akira says she "never once thought of myself as a boy" it really seems like that idea (idk if it has a name) that you can only be trans if you've known "from birth"... that would explain why Hime figuring out she's trans doesn't seem to even be considered as a possibility. 👎
Also the contrast between the aro teacher reminding Akira being a girl is not the same thing as being someone’s girlfriend vs Hamuro asking Hime to be his girlfriend so she can “try it out until you know how you want to be a girl." Sooooo which one is it? I don't think we're meant to see Hamuro as being manipulative... was it just necessary to put in fake dating trope at any cost?
Anyways I did think it was cool we have an aroace character who called himself just “aromantic” (I've heard through the grape vine he is canonically aroace), nice balance to other aroace manga characters who only use “asexual”. Tbh it would probably be 2 stars for the iffy stuff above if we didn't have Sasaki.
Oh also the split between volumes is a bit jarring -- this one opened still in the last scene of volume 2.
(Or, I will concede, cisgender girls/women may say "I wish I wasn't a girl" as an expression of wanting to do specific things they've been forbidden from as a girl/not have certain expectations forced on them— but if pressed, I think that if those people are actually cisgender they would willingly and fully agree that they would prefer, over changing only their own situation, if girls weren't put under such rules and expectations in the first place.)
Ugh now that I think about it, since Akira says she "never once thought of myself as a boy" it really seems like that idea (idk if it has a name) that you can only be trans if you've known "from birth"... that would explain why Hime figuring out she's trans doesn't seem to even be considered as a possibility. 👎
Also the contrast between the aro teacher reminding Akira being a girl is not the same thing as being someone’s girlfriend vs Hamuro asking Hime to be his girlfriend so she can “try it out until you know how you want to be a girl." Sooooo which one is it? I don't think we're meant to see Hamuro as being manipulative... was it just necessary to put in fake dating trope at any cost?
Anyways I did think it was cool we have an aroace character who called himself just “aromantic” (I've heard through the grape vine he is canonically aroace), nice balance to other aroace manga characters who only use “asexual”. Tbh it would probably be 2 stars for the iffy stuff above if we didn't have Sasaki.
Oh also the split between volumes is a bit jarring -- this one opened still in the last scene of volume 2.
April 15, 2026
i was pleasantly surprised by the character development sasaki-sensei got! aromantic representation is so rare, so it made me feel really happy and seen. however, i do think this volume is the weakest out of the first 3. i'm a bit confused on the whole hime-hamuro fake dating thing, but maybe that'll get cleared up in the 4th? regardless, i still adore this series!!
February 17, 2026
There's eo many loveable characters in this series!!! Even Hasegawa is becoming likeable, I'm still not much of a fan of him, but he's getting better! Sasaki Sensei is an icon, I love a aromantic king and genuinely I feel like everything with him was so incredibly done! It took me a second to get used to Hime's new look, but I love it, she looks so much happier! I just want Hime and Akira to make up already 😭💔 these girls are breaking my heart! There's so much more I could say about this volume, I loved it so much!!
March 28, 2026
After finishing this series I can say that the exploration of different gender identities and sexualities is great for a manga since that kind of representation is limited. It was definitely a fun read but my biggest complaint was gender identity based on feelings towards others.
Hime, her entire gender experimentations were just because of Akira. We never got to really understand how she felt about her own presentation of her gender other than when she cut her hair.
Hamuro, love the idea of him being some kind of drag queen but again it was just for his sister and not his own desire to express a side of himself.
Sexuality in this was also quite shallow and over complicated at the same time. There were some good representations such as Ishimiya or The teacher but other than that it was either not explored enough or overly complex in Hime which had a stereotypical ending.
She ended up presenting as a woman and ending up being with a man, it felt like all of her character development didn’t matter. She could’ve had more to her but I feel like that ending washed away the complexity the author attempted to give her.
Once again, it was a fun read but very inconsistent, either too simplified or complex with the representations.
Hime, her entire gender experimentations were just because of Akira. We never got to really understand how she felt about her own presentation of her gender other than when she cut her hair.
Hamuro, love the idea of him being some kind of drag queen but again it was just for his sister and not his own desire to express a side of himself.
Sexuality in this was also quite shallow and over complicated at the same time. There were some good representations such as Ishimiya or The teacher but other than that it was either not explored enough or overly complex in Hime which had a stereotypical ending.
She ended up presenting as a woman and ending up being with a man, it felt like all of her character development didn’t matter. She could’ve had more to her but I feel like that ending washed away the complexity the author attempted to give her.
Once again, it was a fun read but very inconsistent, either too simplified or complex with the representations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2026
🩶💖 I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol 3 Review 💖🩶
Thank you so much to Umi Takase, Ink Pop and Random House Kids for the opportunity to read and review this manga!
I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol 3 is a contemporary YA LGBTQIA+ manga and the third volume in the series. After the events in the second volume, Hime continues to struggle with her identity and Akira continues to push for validation. But with the help of their friends, can they both discover the power to be who they really are?
This manga was such a good read! Akira and Hime continue to grow and figure out the kind of people they want to be. As with the previous volumes, this manga had thoughtful and insightful conversations regarding how it feels to be different from the socially accepted norm. I really enjoyed the side characters and how open they were to sharing their perspectives throughout the story
Overall this was a cute five star manga. I enjoy this story and these characters so much! This manga does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. There’s no on page spice or romance in this volume, so no rating will be given for spice
If you’re a fan of YA manga with strong characters, thoughtful inclusion and meaningful friendships, then absolutely pick this one up!
Thank you so much to Umi Takase, Ink Pop and Random House Kids for the opportunity to read and review this manga!
I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol 3 is a contemporary YA LGBTQIA+ manga and the third volume in the series. After the events in the second volume, Hime continues to struggle with her identity and Akira continues to push for validation. But with the help of their friends, can they both discover the power to be who they really are?
This manga was such a good read! Akira and Hime continue to grow and figure out the kind of people they want to be. As with the previous volumes, this manga had thoughtful and insightful conversations regarding how it feels to be different from the socially accepted norm. I really enjoyed the side characters and how open they were to sharing their perspectives throughout the story
Overall this was a cute five star manga. I enjoy this story and these characters so much! This manga does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. There’s no on page spice or romance in this volume, so no rating will be given for spice
If you’re a fan of YA manga with strong characters, thoughtful inclusion and meaningful friendships, then absolutely pick this one up!
March 4, 2026
There's still a fracture between Hime and Akira as this third book in the series continues their story, which in essence is one of identity. The idea of what it means to be a girl or be seen as more than a girl or as a person as well as concepts of femineity permeate the plot. It will be interesting to see how the author wraps all this up. As a sidenote, like other reviewers, I was pleased to see the inclusion and development of Sasaki-sensei, someone who is aromatic and perfectly comfortable as he is, caring for and loving his students. Perhaps he will have his own series at some point.
June 3, 2022
Amo al maestro, es bien bello ver figuras adultas así en este tipo de historias. Y me fascina el crecimiento de las protagonistas.
June 15, 2026
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews